LAS VEGAS — Carmela Clutch stars in Will Tile’s latest scene, “Rendevous.”
The scene begins with Clutch nervously trying on different lingerie. She and Tile immediately become physical as soon as he enters the scene.
“I’ve always wanted to work with Carmela and the day is finally here,” Tile said. “She was a pleasure and this was an amazing day.”
The trailer can be viewed here.
Follow Carmela Clutch on Twitter.
LOS ANGELES — Ashli Orion is the latest performer to guest on “The Misfit Effect” podcast, hosted by Rawstarr and CW, the Burbank Misfits.
The interview touches on Orion taking a decade-long break from the industry as well as her comeback plans.
“This was my first time talking about being back in the industry after 10 years,” Orion said. “Rawstarr and CW were so cool to chat with, I felt like I was talking to old friends. It was a fun experience and I hope some of you ‘old timers’ out there can relate to our conversation.”
The episode can be found here.
Follow Ashli Orion on Twitter.
LOS ANGELES — Playboy will relaunch a digital version of its magazine, which was discontinued in 2020, later this year as part of an effort to rebrand their creator platform.
Playboy’s current creator platform, Centerfold, will be integrated into the new platform, according to the announcement made today through a New York Post article.
Centerfold creators — who joined the platform by invitation after it launched in December 2021 through a campaign spearheaded by rapper and influencer Cardi B — were advised of the changes several weeks ago.
Playboy’s parent company, the publicly traded PLBY Group, is aiming to position the newly revamped creator platform as an OnlyFans competition.
Playboy reps told the New York Post that “the online publication will serve as an entry to Playboy’s creator platform, which the brand is selling as an ‘elevated, safe and exclusive’ alternative to OnlyFans.”
Playboy creator Amanda Cerny — a popular model during the Centerfold era of the platform — has been shot for the first “digital cover” of the relaunched magazine, which was shared with the Post.
The article claims Cerny “has made more than $1 million as a Playboy creator using the beta version of the platform, Centerfold.”
Playboy’s Chief Brand Officer Rachel Webber told the Post, “Our Playboy creator platform is the Playboy magazine for the 21st century. We’re putting the power of content creation in the hands of the creative community and giving them the tools to interact with and monetize their fanbases directly.”
According to the company, Playboy’s creators have to apply and be accepted by its editorial team.
Playboy CEO Ben Kohn told the Post he “hopes its creator platform will disrupt the current creator economy the same way Playboy magazine shook up the publishing industry nearly 70 years ago.”
LOS ANGELES — Carnal Media has launched FTMPlus, a new network of sites dedicated to trans male content.
Two of the sites — JockPussy and FTMMen — were created by content producer Jason Sparks. The third, Transcest, was recently created by Carnal honcho Legrand Wolf. The three will now be available together on the FTMPlus platform.
“We want to continue to serve the fans of FTM men and boys by bringing their appeal to a wider audience,” said Sparks. “Online searches for FTM porn are rapidly growing, so the market is there waiting for a premium network like FTMPlus.”
Wolf shared his excitement about the new platform.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this project and proud of the team that has come together to make FTMPlus a reality,” he said. “We’re excited and proud to showcase the beauty and sexuality of FTM men, and we’re honored to provide a platform where they can express themselves and their desires.”
Wolf also touted Carnal’s commitment to inclusiveness.
“We’ve worked hard to create a safe and supportive space for our performers and our viewers, and we’re excited to see the positive impact FTMPlus will have on the adult industry,” he said.
For more information, visit FTMPlus.
Follow FTMPlus and Carnal on Twitter.
The morning after the 2023 XBIZ Awards, Dillon Diaz awoke to an unusual text. It was from Michael Boston, the 2022 XBIZ Gay Performer of the Year, and it read simply, “Congratulations, babe!”
Diaz had been unable to attend the ceremony due to a work commitment, so he didn’t immediately make a connection, and Boston didn’t reply to a follow-up text. But as Diaz headed to the gym with his fiance, fellow performer Jake Waters, more congratulatory text messages began pouring in.
Finally, in between reps, Diaz was astonished to learn that he had won his first XBIZ Awards: “Best Gay Sex Scene” for a notably sweaty seven-man orgy alongside Brandon Anderson, Killian Knox, Blain O’Connor, Dakota Payne, Roman Todd and Andrew Miller in Disruptive Films’ “Briar Basin Ranch” — and the coveted title of Gay Performer of the Year.
“I just kept looking at my phone in disbelief,” Diaz recalls. “I have to tell you, I sort of hid behind the weight bench and cried a little bit. Jake saw my face and came over to ask what was wrong and all I could do was just hand him my phone with the screenshot showing my name as the winner. I could not believe it. I am so bummed I couldn’t be there. It really means a lot. I usually make a point of going to all the awards shows, but I was just so exhausted. It had been a really rough week.”
Diaz’s emotional response was due, in part, to its timing.
On paper, he was at the top of his game. He had starred in a number of high-profile titles, from a headlining role in “Briar Basin Ranch” to a splashy supporting turn in “Ride or Die,” which claimed Gay Feature of the Year honors for Raging Stallion Studios. He was also at the vanguard of a steadily growing group of male performers who regularly cross genres from gay to bi to trans and even straight features. In fact, Diaz earned two additional 2023 XBIZ Awards nominations for his work opposite Kyle Connors in “The House Sitter” for Disruptive Films/Taboo Men, and as part of a rain-soaked orgy in “Scorpio Season” for Lust Cinema opposite Dante Colle, Cody Steele, Karla Lane, Freya Parker, Alexis Tae, Vanessa Vega and Maya Woulfe.
“I really love working for Lust Cinema. They’re story-driven and cinematic. They put everything into what they do,” he says. “They take care of everyone. Shooting for them has been transformative. I’ve never had that kind of experience before.”
The “Scorpio Season” shoot exemplified the kind of adult industry experience that Diaz craves. “We were in a parking lot in downtown Los Angeles with a rain machine pouring down on us. It was cold! But we had a great time. We just got into it. I remember how we realized it was something different and unique and special, and that we were going to look back at this moment in our lives and think, ‘Wow, I really did that.’ That was one of the highlights of my career so far.”
Yet despite riding the crest of a wave of acclaimed titles, work had nevertheless slowed down to the point that Diaz was questioning whether his time in adult had come to its natural end.
“Winning renewed my strength when I needed it the most,” he reveals. “I thought, ‘Okay, people have noticed you, they appreciate what you’re doing. You can’t stop now.’ It changed my perspective. And now 2023 has been really amazing so far.”
In addition to fielding new offers from a range of studios, Diaz has been invited to attend an array of events as a featured speaker, including the International Mr. Leather convention in May and a holistic wellness retreat for men in October, organized by Himeros.tv.
Diaz is savoring the opportunities to branch out, afforded by his XBIZ win. “The chance to instruct, or share, is really interesting and exciting,” he says. “I’m really enjoying that.”
XBIZ first profiled Diaz in 2021, three years into his career, when he was named Man of the Month by Noir Male, an imprint of Mile High Media, and had made his directorial debut for the label.
“I decided if I wanted to see people like me writing and directing, I couldn’t wait for someone else to do it,” he told XBIZ at the time. “I had to do it myself.”
Two years on, Diaz admits, the fire had dimmed a bit.
“Towards the end of last year I was feeling very angry and bitter. I wasn’t sure how I was going to move forward because it was getting to the point where I just felt like I was being choked. My creativity was being chilled and I couldn’t figure out how to break through,” he says. “I was like, ‘I think I’m gonna have to move on to something else because I don’t want to live this way.’”
Diaz cites a robust support system that carried him through his low points, among them director-performer Micah Martinez and 2020 XBIZ Gay Performer of the Year Pierce Paris, who urged his Twitter fans and industry colleagues to cast their votes for Diaz.
“Pierce was one of the first people I ever worked with in this industry. I remember when they told me I would be working with him, I freaked out because he was someone I knew about before I got into porn,” Diaz marvels. “He’s a big deal, but he was so kind and encouraging and really helped me get through our scene. We’ll go out to dinner now and we text back and forth. He’s a busy guy, but he’ll make time for me. So it was a huge gesture for him to say, ‘I already won this award, vote for him instead.’ I was floored. After that, I already felt like a winner.”
Diaz also praised the prolific Martinez for his advocacy.
“Micah has booked me for a bunch of jobs. I’ve seen him work behind the camera and I’m so impressed with him,” said Diaz. “One of the things he’s been doing is making sure he’s booking more models of color. His team of people is diverse. There’s got to be more people like Micah stepping into positions where they can make these kinds of decisions. It’s going to take time and persistence, but that is what is going to make a real difference.”
Diaz is frank about the platform the XBIZ win affords him as a performer of color.
“Racism has followed me; I never had to go looking for it,” he said. “Even all the way back when I was working as a go-go boy, the white dancers got a lot more attention and more tips. Usually, on a movie set, I am the only person of color in the whole building. And it’s fine, I’m comfortable with everyone there and people have generally been really nice to me, but you can’t help but notice things like that. I want to change that. There needs to be more diversity, and not just with Black people but Latin and Asian people, too.”
He singles out trans performer Natassia Dreams for exhorting the industry to hire more cinematographers and makeup artists of color, and happily described a recent shoot with Forplay Films that featured an entirely Asian crew, an energizing new experience even for Diaz, who seeks out a diverse range of opportunities whenever possible. “I just kept looking around at them and smiling,” he enthuses. “It was amazing.”
“I’m just going to keep putting out the best performances that I can, and try to make a good impression wherever I go, learn as much as I can and see what I can do to make change,” he said. “I feel like you can’t really expect people to do things for you in life; you have to do it for yourself. And now with this recognition, I’m at a point in my career where I can have an impact, like bringing more people of color in front of the camera and behind it.”
For several days following his XBIZ wins, Diaz was tagged in social media posts complaining that a cross-genre performer had won top honors in a gay category. However, that kind of backlash has steadily declined, he observes, citing performers like Paris and Dante Colle as role models.
“Dante won Performer of the Year and Pierce won Gay Performer a couple of years before that. I saw them crossing genres beyond just gay or bi to trans and straight shoots, and they were having a great time. I would see them and think, ‘I can do that, too.’”
As Diaz rides the tailwinds kicked up by his newly elevated status, fiance Jake Waters has been a steadying influence.
“He’s amazing. He’s always so positive and uplifting,” says Diaz. “Whenever I’m down, he knows how to listen and how to lift me back up. Whenever I need a kick in the pants, he knows just how much force to use. We’ll sit and talk about things with each other and when we’re done venting, we build each other up to go back out there and keep on doing what we’re doing.”
With fresh opportunities at his feet, the newly crowned Gay Performer of the Year stressed that he takes absolutely nothing for granted.
“I keep learning new things about myself,” Diaz notes. “That’s what gets me excited when I wake up in the morning. I was in my 30s when I learned how much I enjoy sex with women, and I learned that I love acting and the opportunity to play a character. If you give me a script and get me into wardrobe, I’ll come through for you. I love it all.”
Find the premium social media links for Dillon Diaz here.
LOS ANGELES — Leana Lovings has won BaDoink’s Oxxxars Award for Best Newcomer in Virtual Reality.
“It was really nice of BaDoinkVR to share some of the love with this wonderful gift of naming me their Best Newcomer,” Lovings said. “I’m so abundantly glad my fans are there to support it too.”
Click here to learn more about this year’s OXXXcars Awards.
Lovings’ BaDoinkVR fantasy can be viewed here.
Follow Leana Lovings on Twitter.
BOSTON — Frank Lawrence, the creator of Vibrating Tarot, will serve as the special guest moderator of tomorrow’s edition of the Twitter-based chat show #SexTalkTuesday, where he will discuss erotic art, pleasure products and esotericism.
Frank Lawrence, a rep noted, is “a multidisciplinary artist and typographer who gardens poisonous plants, collects old typewriters, and plays the saw. In addition to specializing in the design and production of books and decks of cards, he currently reads tarot and ESP cards for clients and offers a class on sigil design.”
Lawrence’s Vibrating Tarot, the rep continued, is “a forthcoming deck featuring iconic, body-safe, globally renowned award-winning adult pleasure products, showcased upon Pamela Colman Smith’s original tarot backgrounds, illustrated over 100 years ago.
Angie Rowntree, founder of Sssh.com and producer of #SexTalkTuesday stated, “Over the years, many of our followers have expressed interest in metaphysical ideas and practices as they relate to sexuality. Frank’s tarot project combines the symbolism of erotic pleasure with the esoteric — so we’re very excited to have him join us, and we can’t wait to hear everyone’s thoughts.”
According to Lawrence, “Vibrating Tarot clears away stigma with its initial humor but should also be looked at in a serious way as a legitimate tool of divination to engage with, solo or with friends and trusted partners, in search of knowledge found at the intersection between sexuality and spirituality.”
For more information on the deck and the project, visit the Vibrating Tarot KickStarter page.
To participate in Sex Talk Tuesday, use the #SexTalkTuesday hashtag on Twitter during the hour-long show starting at 5 p.m. (PDT).
Follow Sssh.com on Twitter and XBIZ.tv and direct inquiries to Rowntree at editor@sssh.com.
LAS VEGAS — Severe Sex Films has released a new compilation, “Perversion and Punishment 20,” on VOD.
This title includes previously released scenes featuring Aiden Starr, Davin Strong, Cybill Troy, Kiki D’Aire, Jessica Ryan, Bella Bathory, Jimmy Broadway, Sarah DiAvola and Mistress Tangent.
For a trailer for “Perversion and Punishment 20,” click here.
Follow Severe Sex Films on Twitter.
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SANTA BARBARA — Industry photographer and filmmaker Jay Allen passed away in Santa Barbara according to industry friends. He was 53 and was hospitalized with cancer.
Allan was known for timeless glamour photography and videography. His craft and professionalism ensured a busy schedule shooting projects for companies and performers, especially in the solo and girl-girl niches.
His last notable project was 2021’s “Solo Sirens,” a characteristically lush title for Adam & Eve, the studio for which he worked the most since 2013.
Allan’s classic pinup style made him a reliable contributor to Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler over the years. He started at the studio of J. Stephen Hicks, where he built DigitalDesire.com, before striking on his own at Danni.com. Allan was one of the leading lensmen to effect the transition between magazines and online content, being a notable contributor to Babes.com, Twistys, HollyRandall.com and many other sites.
In 2020, Allan launched the AgentErotica.com site with Elevated X, offering thousands of never-before-seen images from his archives and a selection of videos featuring some of his signature model collaborators such as Charlotte Stokely, Bailey Rayne, Lacy Lennon, Skin Diamond, Casey Calvert, Joanna Ange and Jenny Blighe.
Allan intended the site to be the archive for over 300,000 slides here from his decades shooting for “men’s magazines” like Club, High Society, Gallery and Finally Legal.
Industry Remembrances
“I’m deeply going to miss Jay being a part of this industry,” Lacy Lennon told XBIZ. “Natural talent is hard to come by in this industry. Being humble is hard to come by in this industry. This one hits deep as his work meant something in this community. Jay was good to his girls, good to his crews and brought quality to porn. His vision for lesbian films and photography portfolios constantly inspires me.”
Lennon said she was “grateful for him seeing something in me very early on. Without that type of support and encouragement I know I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Casey Calvert told XBIZ she “worked quite a bit with Jay early in my career and I always loved shooting with him — he really knew how to make a girl feel beautiful and special in front of his camera.”
“Jay was always kind and knowledgeable,” his colleague Holly Randall told XBIZ. “He was an extremely accomplished technical photographer and a perfectionist. He really knew the art of cinematography and he executed everything that he did with unrivaled attention to detail and love of his craft.”
Charlotte Stokely said through a statement that she has known Allen for 18 years and he “was consistently an amazing and ethical human being. We cultivated a closer and dear friendship in the last five years. He taught me how to work camera settings and taught me about lighting. He loved to freely share his knowledge. We’d talk on the phone for long lengths of time about ‘Star Trek’ or the current new show he was watching , vintage cars, and his favorite places to watch the sunset or some cool new photography gadget he’d acquired. That man never missed a sunset. He would send me pictures saying “where I am now” showing me how beautiful it was.”
Stokely also shared that she “liked to visit him in Santa Barbara and we’d head to the beach where he’d smoke one of his favorite cigars, Partagas, and sip a scotch. In my career we worked together a few or more times mostly for Adam & Eve features, him as the director and myself as a performer. He always had great catering.
“We started to work for Playboy as a team, he was directing and I was executive producer,” Stokely reminisced. “He was so excited for our first Playboy shoot together because we filmed at a location Star Trek had filmed. The last photo he sent me was of a sunset and the last text I sent to him said ‘I’m going to break you out of that hospital and we’ll escape to the rooftop. I’ll bring you a cigar and scotch and we’ll watch the sunset.’ That was three weeks ago. I never did make it to see him after that last text because of my ankle injury. I felt this urgent desire to text or call him the day he passed. For whatever reason I didn’t , thinking ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ He died later that evening. There was just something special about him as a human and my heart is so sad he’s gone. His legacy will live on.”
Bailey Rayne said through a statement earlier today that she chooses to remember Allan “laughing, smiling, surrounded by the people who loved him so much, and standing at a grill full of meat,” as she saw him in August, when he threw “a huge ‘I beat cancer’ party and was surrounded by friends and family from all over the country. That was our Jay. There may have been whiskey and cigars involved, too.”
“That was the last time I could see him because his cancer came back shortly after,” she added.
Bailey also called Allan “a brilliant photographer, who would do anything to get the perfect shot, and someone truly genuine in a superficial world, something I thought was nearly impossible to find, especially in L.A.”
Later she told XBIZ that Allan “was a fighter — he beat cancer once and put that brave face back on when it came back. He stayed positive and optimistic throughout both diagnoses, but he fought like hell until the end.”